PRO FOOTBALL REPORT / WEEKDAY UPDATE : CHARGERS : Spanos Denies HBO Report on Henning

Charger owner Alex Spanos angrily denied a television report that said he had been talked out of firing Coach Dan Henning by General Manager Bobby Beathard.

“It’s a lot of bull . . . ,” Spanos said before Wednesday’s practice. “I don’t want any more questions. I don’t want to even talk about it.”

Gary Myers, a New York Daily News sports columnist, said on HBO’s Inside the NFL that a source close to the Chargers told him Spanos was very upset with Henning after the team’s 17-7 loss to Houston at home Sept. 30.

Myers’ remarks were taped Tuesday in Kansas City and shown for the first time Wednesday evening on HBO.

Myers said Spanos wanted Henning relieved of duties but was stopped by Beathard. He went on to speculate that if the team lost to the Jets Sunday in New York, Henning might very well be the first head coach in the NFL to be fired this season.

Myers’ comment was passed on to USA Today by HBO’s public relations department in an effort to hype the show and published Wednesday morning. Beathard said he saw Myers’ comments in the paper and immediately called him.

“He told me there was nothing to it, and he said he told the same thing to Dan Henning,” Myers said. “I can only tell you what I’ve been told. This is one of those ‘stake your life on it’ kind of sources.”

Beathard said he has spoken with Spanos about the Chargers’ 1-4 start, “but honest to God,” he said, “It has never been mentioned. (Henning’s firing) has absolutely never been brought up.

“The only thing Mr. Spanos said is that everybody is frustrated and what can we do. He said, ‘God, I just want this guy to do well.’ He was very supportive of Dan. He said, ‘Hey, you make the decisions; I’m not even going to be involved in this.’ ”

Spanos conceded Wednesday that his reputation for being an impatient boss in the past might have lent credibility to the report. But he said, “I’ve got the best organization I’ve had in seven years, and I’ve got Bobby Beathard, and he’s calling the shots.”

Henning is in the second of a five-year contract and has a 7-14 mark as the Chargers’ head coach.

“You know me well enough to know I’m really disappointed in what’s happened so far,” Spanos said. “We’re all disappointed, but we’re going to get better.”

Injury update:

Wide receivers Nate Lewis (thigh) and Walter Wilson (ankle) are doubtful for Sunday’s game against the New York Jets. Wilson says his leg is still stiff, but he expects to be back soon.

Safety Vencie Glenn (sprained ankle) won’t practice much this week but is expected to play Sunday.

Running back Ronnie Harmon suffered a concussion in Sunday’s game in a collision with Steeler kick returner Rod Woodson. Harmon says he is fine and won’t miss any practice. “I lost my memory for about 30 seconds and that was it,” Harmon said.

The Chargers activated defensive end Gerald Robinson off injured reserve Wednesday and waived safety Michael Brooks.

“We’ve been short over there,” Henning said. “Right now because we’re up to snuff in the defensive backfield. We brought in Brooks for the two-game period to try to take up for the slack of Vencie being hurt. We need more work with the big guys up front so we made that move.”

Henning said he wasn’t yet sure whether Robinson would play against the Jets.

The Chargers have installed curtains over the shower area in the locker room to give the players more privacy in response to the recent controversy surrounding female reporters in the locker room.